Macarons de poivre et saumon fumé: Pepper macarons with smoked salmon

December is a month of parties, or you can say a lot of ^ ^. So, the recipe for this month has to be great for party too. I had made a sweet macarons before, but I think there will be great to try the salée variety too.

I choose to make the pepper and salt macaron from the idea that the pepper and salt will bring the sweet macaron the hot and salty flavor.

I made 3 batches of it, the first because I want to test the recipe, I made only half the recipe but used the water for the full recipe, you can guess the result, >*<. My macaron turn out to be a cracking meringue haha! For the second time, I made a mistake from the fact that when sprinkle the salt over the macaron before letting it dry, the salt absorb the water from the air and turn the surface of the macaron into the moon surface, -*-. I don't know why I always have all this silly problem. I have a suggestion for anyone who have a problem of cracking macaron, you have to remember that the key for baking the macaron is the top of the macaron should dry and firm before the bottom of the macaron is cooked. So, when the top is dry, it won't crack but the bottom still wet and the air can escape from the bottom and create the epi (or the skirt). Many books told to use the heavy pan or double layer it, and I think it's good idea, but if you have another problem like the macaron undercooked after using the double pan (may be your pan is very heavy like me, haha), just take the second pan out after baking for 3-4 minutes. This macaron is not kept well, because the salt will absorb the water from the air and make the macaron wet.

Pepper macarons with smoked salmon
Makes about 30

Macaron
For the macaron base
75 g	almond powder
75 g	icing sugar
30 g	egg whites
	Freshly grounded black pepper
	Salt for sprinkle
For Italian Meringue
75 g	caster sugar
30 g	water
30 g	egg whites
Salmon cream cheese filling
200 g	Cream cheese
1 tsp	Lemon juice
1 tsp	Dill (chopped)
1/2 tsp	Lemon zest
	Freshly grounded black pepper
	Salt
15 g	Smoked salmon

Preheat the oven to 140°C.

Sift together almond powder and icing sugar into a bowl, put egg white into the bowl. Use a pastry scrap to bring everything together. Set aside.

Make the Italian meringue:

In a sauce pan, put the sugar and water and bring to boil over medium low heat.
When the syrup reaches 100°C, start whisking the egg whites.

The syrup is ready when it reaches 110°C; pour it over the egg whites and continue whisking until cold.

Mix together the base and Italian meringue.

The mixture should be softer and very glossy, a little stiffer then cake batter.

Spoon mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm nozzle. Pipe or spoon mixture into 3 cm rounds onto baking paper-lined (or Silpat) oven trays. When you’ve pipe out all the macarons lift each baking sheet with both hands and then bang it down on the counter (you need to get the air out of the batter). Sprinkle the macaron with the black pepper. Let the macarons rest for 1 hour, and sprinkle with the salt before baking.

Bake for 9 minutes to 15 minutes depend on your oven. Remove from oven and cool on trays. Slide a knife under each macaron to release.

Make the filling:

Beat everything together except the salmon.
Pipe the filling into the macorons, place the salmon and sandwich macarons together.

The macoron is ready!

Macarons de poivre et saumon fumé: Pepper macarons with smoked salmon